The character portrayed is Komeiji Koishi, and the conceptualization of the costume and prop details took the most effort during the early stages. The primary visual focus is the black wide-brimmed hat decorated with exaggerated large blue flowers, where black lace and ruffles stack layer upon layer with a substantial weight. The top is a vintage style dominated by off-white, with a wealth of lace patchwork and pleats at the neckline and cuffs. The bottom is paired with a deep green patterned long skirt, where the white embroidered texture on the hem blends very naturally with the base color, presenting an overall look of a dress with a hint of dark style.
This time, two highly representative sets of props were prepared: a purple telephone receiver and a silver small knife. Combined with the blue and purplish-red flexible pipes wrapped around my body, they create a visual effect that is a bit grotesque yet playful. Staging the pathing of the flexible pipes was actually the hardest part to handle; they couldn't crush the clothes too much, and while wrapping around the limbs, they needed to look natural while possessing a clear structural presence in the photos. We adjusted their positions on set numerous times.
For the wig, light green curly hair was chosen, layered, and styled. It was paired with cool-toned contact lenses and fair foundation makeup, with an emphasis on deepening the eye makeup contour, striving to stay close to the character's transparent yet cool state. The shoes selected were black platform Mary Janes, combined with sheer black stockings to visually elongate the overall body shape beautifully.
This shoot was selected in a studio with a seamless pure white background, utilizing only a white cylinder as the primary seating prop. The benefit of a white background is that it doesn't steal the details of the outfit, perfectly setting off the colors and structures. During the shooting process, I needed to interpret that casual, uninhibited state mixed with a sliver of mystery. Whether single-handedly lifting the telephone, placing the knife against my cheek, or adjusting the extended leg lines, every single shot was searching for that subtle point of tension. After the final images came out, the dark-toned costume and the vivid blue-and-purple props formed a remarkably sharp contrast against the clean white background. This was my first time trying a combination blending Gothic Lolita and bizarre elements, and the texture was maintained quite well for this piece of Anime-style photography. It was a very heartfelt attempt.